Gas dispensing device



March 1, 1949. NORWAY 2,463,493

GAS DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 52 I 5 83 7/ .1 75 g 7 72f 6 6 j 37 E l 39 8 INVENTOR.

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March 1, 1949. H. 1.. NORWAY 2,463,493

I GAS DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WI H| 4 A I f w \& 3,

Mil 5 k 3 INVENTOR. m/a a Patented Mar. 1, 1949 GAS DISPENSING DEVICE Harold L. Norway, Evanston, Ill., assignor to The Bastian-Blessing Company, a corporation of Illinois Application August 24,

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to liquefied petroleum gas equipment and more particularly to the method and apparatus for handling liquefied petroleum gas where a body of gas stored in its liquid phase is utilized directly or indirectly as a source of heat or a heat transfer medium to vaporize the gas whereby the gas is dispensed for consumption in the form of vapor.

Reference is hereby made to my copending application 395,443 filed May 27, 1941, to the extent that a similarity of parts or functions may exist between the embodiments of the several inventions and also for a thorough understanding of the present invention.

The petroleum product employed in the system with which the present invention is concerned is preferably a hydrocarbon fuel such as propane or butane, or a mixture of both, whose boiling point is low enough to be within the range of temperatures normally experienced in a particular environment, and, although the embodiment illustrated herein may operate under favorable temperatures aboveground, the tank in which the fuel is stored in its liquid phase is preferably located underground when the range of temperature variation is comparatively narrow and the heat present in the earth can be utilized for a dual purpose, namely, to establish a working pressure in the tank and to supply the heat units that are necessary to accomplish vaporization, which heat units are technically referred to as the latent heat of vaporization.

One of the ways in which vaporization is accomplished is the so-called batch system in which the vaporization of the liquid fuel is carried on in the storage tank and the fuel is withdrawn from the top of the tank in the form of vapor. Another way in which vaporization is accomplished is the s'o-called flash system in which the liquefied gas is captivated in small amounts, or progressively, as by eduction from the tank, after which the gas is passed through a pressure reducing regulator which causes the liquid to flash into vapor to the extent that the latent heat of vaporization is present to support vaporization. In both instances consumption of gas causes the reduction in pressure although the concomitants of a reduction in pressure are controlled by pressure regulators.

In a batch system the refrigerating action which accompanies vaporization is expended largely throughout the tank with the liquid contents of the tank serving as an immediate supply of the latent heat of vaporization whereas in the flash system the heat absorption is concentrated 1944, Serial No. 550,959V2 in a comparatively small space, generally around the pressure reducing device and parts proximate thereto.

Although many of the features of the present 5 invention will improve vaporization and operating conditions for batch systems, the primary emphasis of the present invention is with the flash systems, one of the objects of the present invention being to adapt a process of flash vaporization which provides a constant B. t. u. content in the fuel dispensed to take advantage of the benefits present with batch systems, in that the refrigerating action is expended in the tank and the latent heat of vaporization is ultimately drawn from the earth over a large area thereof through convective circulation of a liquid contents of the tank between the walls ofthe tank and the point of vaporization.

Furthermore, in view of the fact that some difficulty is experienced and a great deal of heat waste is incurred if the latent heat of vaporization is conducted from a body of liquid to a point remote from the tank, a further object of the invention resides in the relationship of parts in which the heat transfer is reduced to a minimum distance and is confined to take place preferably within the confines of the storage tank.

With the storage tanks buried below the frost line as represented in this invention, the initial temperature present in the earth is sufficient to establish a substantial vapor pressure in the tank. The vapor pressure thus provided is constant at any given temperature and although it may be relied upon solely in most installations to force liquefied gas or vapor from the storage tank, other gases may be introduced into the tank which will boost the pressure under the well known law of physics known as Daltons law. Furthermore; in colder climates it is desirable to provide a mixture of liquefied petroleum gases having a greater proportion of more volatile fuels in it which will maintain an adequate vapor pressure throughout the lower range of ground temperatures that occurs with seasonal changes.

The vapor pressure thus developed in any one or more of the above ways mentioned is utilized as a working pressure to move the gas from the tank either in its liquid or vapor phase to a point of consumption with the ultimate delivery pressure at the point of consumption controlled by a pressure reducer to provide preferably 11'' of water column.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary pressure reduction device which converts a liquid fuel into vapor and reduces its aeeaeos pressure to 11" of water column within a restricted region warmed by the earth through the contents of the tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved unitary construction for vaporizing liquid fuel in direct heat exchange relationship with a convectively circulating earth-warmed body of liquid. which'construction can be readily removed and replaced if servicing or a change of adjustment-is desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved, safe and simplified means for utilizing the sensible heat of the liquid stored in the tank to flash liquefied gas in its liquid phase into vapor with an accompanying reduction .of pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement in which the parts that are subjected to a refrigerating action during vaporization of liquid fuelare in heat exchange with an anti-freeze solution that supplies heat directly to the parts subjected to the heavy refrigeration load and indirectly, by conduction, to those parts which are cooled by adiabatic expansion of the vaporized fuel encountered when the pressure is reduced to a service pressure.

These being among the objects of the invention, other and further objects will be apparent from the drawings, the description relating thereto and the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary, vertical section taken longitudinally through the tank, stand pipe and eduction means illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken longitudinally through the eduction means shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical section taken through the top of the eduction means shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in further detail, a pressure tested, corrosion threaded tank In is shown in Fig. 1 as buried in the ground ll below the frost line l2 thereof to absorb heat from the earth for the purpose of warming the liquid stored in the tank.

With this arrangement the heat of the earth proximate to the tank is utilized to establish a vapor pressure in the tank after the tank is filled with a hydrocarbon fuel such as butane or propane having a boiling point below the normal range of temperatures experienced in the earth below the frost line. The vapor pressure thus established operates to force fuel from the tank through an eduction conduit indicated generally by the numeral l 4.

The tank is provided with a riser pipe l5 which is welded at the lower end thereof of the tank as at l6 where it is disposed over anopening l1 in the top of the tank. A housing I8 is also secured to the tank by a suitable means to enclose the riser pipe I5 and extends to the top of the ground where a ventilated cover 2| is removably secured to provide access to the interior 20 of the housing which will be referred to as a manhole. The upper end of the riser pipe I5 is threaded as at 22 to receive a forged head 23 of the character more particularly described in my copending application, which head includes a safety pressure relief valve mechanism 24 therein, a filler conduit 25 having a plurality of back flow check valves (not shown) which lead to the pipe 26 that extends to the bottom of the tank. The valves open under the surge of replenishing fuel when the tank is manhole 20'is the eduction means I4. The liquid 4 being filled and are so constructed and arranged as to be held open by a special device it upon occasion it is found desirable to empty the tank of its liquid contents. A pressure gauge is indicated at 21 and also a slip tube gauge 28 by which the liquid level in the tank can be determined. A vapor return may also be provided to equalize the pressure between a service tank and the tank I! when upon occasion the tank It is being filled.

To one side of the riser pipe l6 and within the fuel educted from the tank is vaporized and reduced to a service pressure by this means before the gas leaves the region of the tank for consumption in a house.

Referring to Fig. 3, an internally threaded collar 3| is welded to the tank as at 34 over an opening' 32 in the tank which opening is large enough to receive the pipe 33 for it to extend to the bottom of the tank when the flange is welded in place. As shown in Fig. 2, the bottom of the pipe 33 is provided with a fitting 31 carrying a safety check valve 35 that closes an opening 36 therethrough in the direction of flow of liquid from the tank into the pipe. A screen is shown at 39.

The lower end of the pipe 33 is threaded as at 38 to receive the fitting and the fitting includes a spider 40 having a guideway 4| receiving the valve stem 42 that supports'the valve member 43 to cooperate with the valve seat 44 surrounding the opening 36. The upper end of the valve stem receives a thrust plate 45 held in place by a screw 46 and the valve 36 is carried into contact with the valve seat 44 under the effort exerted by a light compression spring 41 disposed between the plate 45 and the spider 40. The stem 42 is long enough to extend well up into the pipe 33 so that any element contacting the plate 45 and forcing it downwardly will operate to open the valve 35.

Secured to the collar 3! as shown in Fig. 3 is a threaded shank 50 and a locknut 5| carrying a gasket 62 therein which is compressed between the shank 50 and the upper end 53 of the collar 3|. The shank 50 is integral with a double stage pressure reducer having a wall 54 in common between two pressure compartments with the wall hollowed out as at 55 to provide a first stage compartment closed by a diaphragm 56 which is urged inwardly by a compression spring 51 carried by a bonnet 58 which seals the marginal edges of the diaphragm.' The bonnet carries an adjusting nut 60 for varying the effort exertible by the spring and a cap nut 6| has an opening through the center thereof to receive a pull spring 62 interconnecting a manual control 63 and the diaphragm 56. Stretching of the spring 62 holds the diaphragm from operation as controlled by the manual control and relaxing the spring 62 places the regulator in operation.

Upon the inside of the compartment 55 the diaphragm 56 is connected to one arm 63 of a lever 64 that is pivotally mounted in the housing as at 65 and a push rod 61 is connected to the other arm 66 of the lever 64. Thus when the pressure rises in the compartment 55, the diaphragm moves outwardly lifting the push rod and when the pressure falls in the compartment 55, the diaphragm moves inwardly under the influence of the spring 51 to move the push rod downwardly.

Threaded to the lower end of the shank 56 is a tube 16 which encases the push rod 61 and ex-.

tends to the bottom of the tank Ill inside the pipe where it is threaded to receive a fitting 1i (Fig.

aeoaeas shank 88 is secured in place. The protrusion in .turn is carried by a. spider 18 that has a center guideway I41 therein which receives the stem II of a second check valve element 18 which cooperates with the valve seat 11 surrounding an opening 18 whose upper mouth 88 is flared to receive the reduced end ll of the push rod 81 in guided relationship and hold it where it will cooperate with a screw 82 holding a valve disc 88 upon the face of the check valve I8.

With this arrangement whenever the push rod is moved downwardly, it moves the valve I8 to its open position whereas when the push rod is lifted upwardly as by the pressure existing in the first stage valve chamber 58 or tension on the spring 82, the rod releases the valve 18 to permit it to close under the influence of a compression spring 84 provided for that purpose between the spider I8 and the valve I8.

With this arrangement a first stage pressure reducer is provided in which the diaphragm control is located outside of the tank and theexpansion valve is located at a low pointin the tank where it will be supplied with heat from the contents of the tank. The liquid passing through the check valve 85 when held open by the protrusion I2, when the regulator is in place, passes the check valve I8 into a region of reduced pressure maintained by the diaphragm 58. This passage of liquid past the valve I8 is then subjected simultaneously to a supply of heat in the body itself and a reduction of pressure, the two of which operate to accomplish vaporization of liq uid educted to the tube 81 before the fuel leaves I the confines of the tank.

The second stage pressure reduction chamber is indicated at 85 as sealed by a sensitive diaphragm 88 of larger area than that of the diaphragm 58. Communication between the two compartments is had through a passageway 81 that leads into a threaded valve compartment 88 which has a cap nut 88 therein sealing the compartment from the outside and a nozzle element 8| resting in sealed relationship against a shoulder 82. A valve member 88 supported in guided relationship cooperates with the valve nozzle 84 as actuated in and out of engagement with the nozzle by a lever 85 pivotally mounted in the housing as at 88. The lever is controlled by the movement of a long arm 81 whose outer end 88 is connected to the center of the diaphragm 88. A compression spring I88 is adjustably mounted in a bonnet IM to urge the diaphragm 88 inwardly by which the lever moves the valve memher away from the valve nozzle 84 to admit vaporized fuel into the second stage compartment 85 whereas the pressure exerted by the admitted fuel operates to force the diaphragm outwardly to move the lever to close the valve. In this way pressure in the second compartment 88 is controlled by the diaphragm and valve mechanism as supplied with vapor under pressure from the first stage pressure compartment 55.

The pressure in the compartment 55 will range between and 10 pounds per square inch. The pressure in the compartment 85 will be 11 inches of water column. The reduction of pressure taking place at the valve 84 causes a chilling action whichis dissipated by heat conducted from the tank to the housing through the connecting parts.

From a second stage compartment the gas therein passes to a point of consumption such as a stove in a house (not shown) through a service conduit I82 having a flared connection I88 with a threaded boss I84 as held in place by a nut I85.

The service conduit may be provided with a hand shut-off valve (not shown). at the flared nut if desired, or in the house. or at both places. If such valve is provided at the flared connection, it can be shut off before the nut I of the flared connection is loosened to prevent the gas in the service conduit from escaping back into the manhole if upon occasion it is desirable to remove the regulator for servicing.

Whenever it becomes desirable to service the regulator or change the adjustments thereof, the gland nut I85 is loosened and the flared connection is disengaged. The nut 51' is loosened and the regulator is rotated counter-clockwise to un-; thread it until such time that it is released from engagement so that it can be lifted straight upwardly out of the manhole. Before the threaded engagement is fully released, the protrusion I2 will have been moved high enough to permit the lower check valve to close after which any pressure present inside the pipe 88 will gradually relieve itself slowly through the thread clearances.

Once the pressure is fully released, the threads can be turned clear of each other and the regulator lifted without danger of pressure in the pipe blowing it upwardly with a possibility of causinginjury to the operator.

One of the advantages of the present invention is that the combination pressure reducer and vaporizer :can be replaced in the field with another one without shutting down the service to the house for more than a minute or two, whereas regulators formed as a part of a fitting that constitute the sole'means for closing an outlet from a tank cannot be removed and serviced in the shop but must be serviced on the job regardless oil-weather conditions with a substantial length of time involved for shut-down.

Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that there is no need to transfer heat from the tank to a place remote from the. tank with the accompanying heat loss because in the present invention the transfer of the latent heat of vaporization required to vaporize liquid fuel of the class described, is transferred directly to the parts from the body of the liquid itself.

In order to prevent removal of the heat from the tank or its loss through the manhole a layer of rock wool I88 or other suitable insulating material is provided in the manhole above the regulator hody whereby a convective circulation in the manhole is prevented whichmight conduct heatfrom the tank to the top of the manhole where it would be lost in cold weather.

Having thus described the invention and the significance of the preferred arrangement of elements, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What Iclaim is:

1. An apparatus for supplying fuel of substantially uniform composition and at a lower pressure from a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons, said.

apparatus comprising an underground tank buried below the frost line, conduit means extending from said tankto a place where the fuel is consumed, said conduit means including a well in heat exchange contact with the contents of the tank, a valve controlling the flow of fuel from the tank into the well, a section removably received in the well and having its inlet adjacent the bottom of said well and holding said checkvalveopen when in place, a second section connected with the first and terminating'near the place of fuel consumption so that fuel flows from said well throug'h'said sections, and means for controlling the flow of fuel through said conduit means including a pressure reducing valve at said inlet, and a pressure regulator in said second section.

2. In a liquefied gas dispensing system of the class described, a pressure storage tank buried underground in heat exchange relationship with the surrounding earth, an eduction conduit leading from the bottom of the tank through the tank, an inlet valve in the eduction conduit disposed below the normal liquid level in the tank, a unitary housing secured to the outlet of said eduction conduit defining two valve chambers each of which have a diaphragm forming one wall thereof, one of said valve chambers being in open. communication with said eduction conduit, means in said one valve chamber controlled by the diaphragm of that chamber for operating said inlet valve and means interconnecting said valve chambers including a valve controlled by the other of said diaphragm in response to the pressure of fluid in said other chamber.

3. A fuel supply apparatus comprising a, tank for storing a vaporizable liquid under pressure; means for educting a restricted portion of liquid from the tank and simultaneously expanding same including an eduction tube inheat exchange relationship with the liquid contents of the tank, and a flow control valve at the inlet of said tube; means responsive to the pressure of the expanded fuel in said eduction tube for operating said valve; and means mounted upon said eduction tube responsive to the pressure in a service conduit for controlling the flow of fuel from said tube to said service conduit.

4. In a system of the class described, the com bination of a storage tank and a, unitary two stage pressure reducer, said pressure reducer including an elongated first stage valve chamber extending into said tank in heat exchange with the contents thereof, said chamber having an inlet valve at the lower end, and a second stage pressure regulator supplied with vapor from said valve chamber and receiving heat from said storage tank.

5. In a system of the class described having a storage tank, a well in said tank in communication with the tank through an outflow check valve, a liquid eduction conduit releasably holding said valve open and removably received in said well in heat exchange relationship with the contents of the well and tank,'and means for maintaining a pressure in said conduit below the pressure in the tank under normal conditions.

6. A fuel supply apparatus comprising a tank for storing a vaporizable liquid under pressure; means for educting liquid from the tank and expanding same, including an eduction tube in heat exchange relationship with the liquid contents of the tank, and a flow control valve at the inlet of said tube; means responsive to the pressure of the xpanded fuel in said eduction tube for operating said valve; and means in heat exchange relationship with the tank and responsive to the pressure in a service conduit for controlling the flow of fuel from said tube to said service conduit.

HAROLD L. NORWAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,752,167 Ford Mar. 25, 1930 2,217,582 White Oct. 8, 1940 2,219,897 Hooper et al. Oct. 29, 1940 2,245,485 Lewis June 10, 1941 2,271,278 St. Clair Jan. 27, 1942 2,339,134 Baker et al Jan. 11, 1944 2,405,846 Poethig Aug. 13, 1946 

